Matariki (Te Reo Singalong with CD #6)

This children's picture book is in te reo Maori. It includes a song CD. No prior knowledge of te reo Maori is required by the children or adults using the book. The story/song is about Matariki, the Maori New Year, which is celebrated in New Zealand in May/June. The story is about a family who awake to see the Matariki star cluster at dawn and then enjoy a visit from their extended family members, including singing, eating and playing together. Matariki stars are not visible in the evening, so the children make stars with their sparklers to celebrate at the end of the day. As a special feature for this book, a video demonstrating actions for the song is available at www.tereosingalong.co.nz. Each Te Reo Singalong book features an easy-to-learn sentence structure in te reo. This book features the sentence structure "he pai ki ahau..." which means "I like..." By putting on the song CD and opening the book, the reader can join in with the song and follow the actions and sounds as they enjoy the book. The back of the book contains information about Matariki, English translation, guitar chords and a list of extension ideas for parents and teachers. The book is number 6 in an award winning series called Te Reo Singalong, which won at the Maori Language Awards in November 2013.

Matariki (The Maori New Year) is about mum, dad and the children enjoying Matariki celebrations with their extended family. This Matariki book works for children of all ages, even toddlers – and the magical tune, gorgeous illustrations and repetitive sentence structures make learning te reo easy and fun for children and adults. This book is part of the award winning series of Te Reo Singalong books. Each book contains a singalong CD, English translation, glossary, guitar chords and list of 10 activity ideas.

Promotion info

These books have been voted the best te reo resources by judges and teachers. Find out for yourself, by opening the book, putting on the CD and joining in the fun. Many teachers say these books are requested by their children every day!

Reviews

Colenso Early Childhood Centre: "The children love each time a new book arrives from Te Reo Singalong. Matariki is definitely a favourite. They love the tune and rhythm of the song, and the story line is something they are familiar with. These books make connections for each child. It is relevant to them in their world. They are so focussed when these books are used at rest time. The repetitive rhyme encourages the children to participate in the story. These books are a rich resource that excites our children and empowers them to learn."

Author description

Author Sharon Holt worked as a teacher and journalist before remembering her childhood dream of becoming a published children's author. Since the age of 40, she has had about 35 books, stories, poems and plays published. One of her books was a finalist in the NZ Post Children's Book Awards in 2007. Since 2012, she has worked full time writing, publishing, marketing and selling her Te Reo Singalong series which make it fun for teachers and children to use te reo Maori sentences with ease.